Japan Relay, RFL partner since 2006

Tell Us About Relay in Japan:

We have 52 RFL planning committees across the country this year, and we have a new committee joining us almost every year.

Japan's Relay journey began with a trial event in Tsukuba in 2006 (considered a trial because it was not overnight), followed by the country's first official overnight Relay in Ashiya in 2007.

On September 5–6, 2026, Relay For Life of Ashiya celebrated its 20th event with an overnight Relay. Over the years, the Relay community has welcomed many new friends while also experiencing heartbreaking farewells to loved ones. Relayers who have been part of the journey since the very beginning gathered to celebrate this milestone, reflect on the memories they have shared, and honor the friends who are no longer with us.

Twenty years of celebrating life, remembering loved ones, and carrying hope forward, together.

What Makes Your Relay Unique?

In Japan, we have a special interpretation of Relay For Life's signature color, purple, which we call "Dawn Purple."

This idea was introduced by Hideaki Miura, affectionately known as "Shu-san," the father of Relay For Life in Japan and Japan's very first Global Hero of Hope. Shu-san often spoke about how nighttime can be especially frightening and lonely for cancer patients. During his own hospitalization, he would lie awake, wondering if he would ever see another morning.

One night, as he gazed out of his hospital window, he witnessed the sky briefly turning purple just before dawn. To him, that fleeting purple was a promise that morning was coming, a symbol of hope and the precious gift of another day of life.

He named it "Dawn Purple."

Today, at many Relay For Life events across Japan, it has become a cherished tradition for participants to gather and witness the "Dawn Purple" together as the night gives way to morning, carrying on Shu-san's message that even the darkest night eventually gives way to a new dawn.